Ariana Hira-Herangi is determined to hand centre partner Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea the same feeling she had on debut for the Wallaroos on Saturday night by helping unleash her outside centre against Japan.
Hira-Herangi and Lefau-Fakaosilea paired in the centres to make their Test debuts against Japan in Newcastle on Saturday, with Hira-Herangi scoring a pivotal try in Australia's 34-5 win.
The Wallaroos struggled to find momentum in the opening stages, with the Wallaroos' enthusiasm and endeavour not met by the same level of execution early in the match.
"You've got to give it to Japan, they've got a nice line speed and their connections are really good so we felt the pressure of making the pass and I assume that's what they wanted," Hira-Herangi said.
"Once we relaxed and got our depth a bit more and started drilling the game out, we started making the connections out wide a bit better."
Once they settled and played to their strengths though, the Wallaroos found their mojo, with Hira-Herangi's try minutes before halftime giving the Wallaroos a 12-0 lead at the break and changing the momentum of the game.
"The score was quite close at that time, so that kind of sealed us the top end for that half," she said.
"Once I got over the line I couldn't believe it, that's why I had my head in my hands, because I didn't believe I actually got over.
"It was a quite emotional experience for me because I felt the passion from all the girls once I was over and that's what really got me - is that everyone was behind me and I felt all of that."
It's a moment the no.12 wants her centre partner Lefau-Fakaosilea to experience as well, when the Wallaroos play the second match of their series against Japan at North Sydney Oval on Friday night.
And if the Wallaroos are able to start as they finished on Saturday, she believes the outside backs will have their chances.
"I definitely want to use our outside 13 and Alysia being a young gun, she's amazing once she's in space," Hira-Herangi said.
"I'm hoping we can set a solid foundation using our forwards and set solid rucks so we can actually get some time and space outside to hit our young guns and our edges that are really fast."
Hira-Herangi was one of four new faces in the starting XV on Saturday - and nine overall for the Wallaroos in a period of change leading into the 2021 World Cup.
And it was an emotional moment for the 23-year-old.
"The feeling was actually quite unreal. It doesn't actually hit you until you're in the tunnel and that was actually quite a special moment for me," she said.
"Walking out and standing behind my teammates was actually quite unreal, the butterflies were escalating but I loved every minute of it, hopefully I can do it again."
One of four players from Western Australia in the Wallaroos squad, Hira-Herangi hopes her debut can be an inspiration for other players from the state dreaming of playing rugby for Australia.
"Coming from the West, our opportunities are not as great but with Dwayne (Wallaroos coach Dwayne Nestor) being over in Perth, I think that's broadened the opportunities of being able to make the Wallaroos," she said.
"I hope Trilleen (Pomare) and I, and the other Westies, Mhicca (Carter) and Bec (Clough) can make a solid foundation for the other up-and-coming girls to follow in our footsteps."
